Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Latin Proverbs and Fables Round-Up: April 14

Here is a round-up of today's proverbs and fables - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. If you are a Pinterest user, you might enjoy following the Bestiaria Latina at Pinterest, and there is also a LatinLOLCat Board.

HODIE (Roman Calendar): ante diem duodevicesimum Kalendas Maias.

MYTHS and LEGENDS: The art image for today's legend shows The Danaids; you can also see the legends for the current week listed together here.


TODAY'S MOTTOES and PROVERBS:

TINY PROVERBS: Today's tiny proverb is: Mone sale (English: Add wit to your advice).

3-WORD MOTTOES: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is In libris libertas (English: In books, freedom).

ANIMAL PROVERBS: Today's animal proverb is Adulatio est hamus quo magni capiuntur pisces (English: Flattery is a hook on which big fish are caught).

POLYDORUS: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Mors et vita in manibus linguae (English: Life and death are in the hands of the tongue).

PROPER NAME PROVERBS: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Saguntina fames (English: The hunger of Sagentum; from Adagia 1.9.67 - This refers to a terrible hunger, from the infamous Siege of Sagentum, when Hannibal was able to capture Saguntum, thanks to the failure of Rome to come to the city's aid).

GREEK PROVERBS: Today's proverb is Ἥν ἔλαχες Σπάρτην, ταύτην κόσμει (English: Since you have been allotted Sparta, adorn her — the words of Agamemnon to his brother Menelaus, who was made king of Sparta).

BREVISSIMA: The distich poster for today is Verus Amicus. Click here for a full-sized view.


And here are today's proverbial LOLcats:



Discat qui nescit; discendo sapientia crescit.
Let him learn who does not know; by learning wisdom grows.

Natura diverso gaudet.
Nature rejoices in variety.

TODAY'S FABLES:

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Equus Superbus et Asinus, a story of how the mighty are fallen (this fable has a vocabulary list).

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Cornix et Urna, the famous story of the crow's ingenuity, now confirmed in laboratory experiments!

Corvus et Urna

Latin Sundials. Below you will find an image of a sundial, and for detailed information about the Latin motto see this blog post: VOLAT IRREVOCABILIS · ULTIMA LATET.